The Golden State Warriors’ issues have now extended beyond the hardwood floor.
Two former Warriors employees are reportedly suing the Bay Area basketball organization over allegations of gender, age, and race-based discrimination. According to a report by The Athletic’s Devon Henderson, the women, Lisa Shelley and Jennifer Vasquez, also allege that their firings were in part an act of retaliation.
Shelley served as the organization’s associate general counsel and director of business and legal affairs and risk management, while Vasquez was vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The two high-ranking executives endured “humiliation, emotional distress, embarrassment, and mental and physical pain and anguish” while working with the team.
Per the report, Shelley also felt discriminated against when the Warriors “passed her over for multiple promotions” despite her performing her duties well. Shelley alleges that a younger male with less experience got promoted instead of her.
Vasquez reportedly felt the workplace had a “climate of isolation and intimidation in which her ideas were routinely dismissed.” She also noted an incident in which a colleague made fun of her during a meeting for being over 40 years old.
Per the suit, Vasquez expressed her dissatisfaction with her workplace in an anonymous, NBA-wide employee engagement survey conducted in 2025. She was allegedly questioned about her responses, prompting Shelley to file an internal report on the matter in defense of Vasquez.
Shelley was terminated in December 2025. Vasquez suffered the same fate weeks later. You can read about the allegations in more detail here.
The Warriors issued a statement addressing Shelley and Vasquez’s claims, calling them “baseless” and touting that the organization has “operated with the highest levels of integrity and fairness.”
